You wouldn’t think this would be a commonly asked question but it is. You may have heard a horror story about a “person who had weight loss surgery and lost so much weight that they look pale, weak and all of their skin sags”. This is by far the exception and not the norm.

Weight loss after weight loss surgery is consistent and rapid (primarily with the gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy procedures and not as rapid with the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure). Eventually, the body recognizes this rapid weight loss and as a protective mechanism, will slow down your metabolism and you will experience a plateau. By following your prescribed eating plan (we make it as simple as possible) and incorporating fitness, you can work through these plateaus. Once you get closer to your goal weight, the body naturally stabilizes at an appropriate weight even if you continue with a lower food intake (if it is the right combination of macronutrients and overall calories). The industry commonly calls this the “set point”. If you did continue to lose weight and appear as if you were dropping below your ideal body weight (rare), we can teach you how to use your “tool” to gain weight as well.

If you looked like the person described previously, you would need to be sure you were following up with your experienced bariatric surgeon. Some things that can contribute to such a situation include poor nutrition, lack of an adequate amount of protein, not taking your daily vitamin, iron deficiency, smoking, depression or a physical malabsorption problem. Again, this is a rare situation. If you follow the prescribed post-operative comprehensive program set forth by your experienced bariatric surgeon/center this would be avoided.

Rhonda’s Opinion: I actually did lose a little too much weight but worked with Dr. Clark and a trainer to gain back muscle. The great thing is that now YOU have CONTROL!!!

Life after weight loss surgery is not all about deprivation. In fact, life after surgery is quite the contrary. It’s about having an extra reinforcement so that you are better equipped to lose weight and keep it off long term. As we have said over and over, surgery is a tool but you really need to know how best to use this tool for optimal long-term results. Our society is focused on the here and now. You will have an excellent tool that will help you quickly in the here and now after surgery. More importantly it will serve you well for the long haul so you can fully experience your life in a rewarding and active way. I see dreams come true each and every day!

Sure, there will be changes and I would be lying if we said they were all going to be simple. I am not trying to be vague here but the answer to the question “Will I ever be able to enjoy my favorite foods again after weight loss surgery?” depends upon a number of things. These include the type of surgery you have and what is included in your favorite food list. Not knowing exactly what those favorite foods are, I will include those that you will need to avoid altogether or enjoy in small quantities (we always like to focus on what you can have rather than what you can’t have).

The first category you will want to avoid or enjoy in small quantities is sugary sweets. This can be in solid (i.e. candy) or liquid form (i.e. sweet tea). After weight loss surgery, you should avoid food with >8 grams of sugar (5 grams if you are diabetic) because they can cause a negative reaction in your system, particularly if you have had a gastric bypass. These foods can cause what is commonly called “dumping syndrome”. Dumping syndrome occurs when there is a rapid passage of food into the small intestines causing a shift of fluid to the small intestine. This usually occurs when you ingest foods that are too high in sugar or fat. Symptoms include diarrhea, sweating, nausea, cold/clammy skin, dizziness, weakness, flushed appearance, and occasionally headaches. You will need to stop and rest until the symptoms subside. Remember to remain hydrated (water is best). Take note of the food/foods that caused these symptoms so that you can avoid them in the future.

The second category you will want to avoid is alcohol. Alcohol is full of empty calories, dehydrates the body, and has negative effects on the kidneys and liver. In addition, because of the small size of your new pouch and the fact that food/liquid now empties more rapidly into the intestines, alcohol will be more toxic and cause a higher blood alcohol level than before surgery. For these reasons, ingestion of alcohol should be avoided after surgery. If you choose to have weight loss surgery and then ingest alcohol, please be aware that a small amount can affect you to a MUCH greater degree than prior to surgery.

After you are a month or so out from surgery, you can begin to experiment more with various foods. Introduce raw fruits and vegetables cautiously. Although many people do just fine, certain foods may be difficult to tolerate because your digestive system cannot n handle them. The following may cause problems for you and may need to be avoided:

Tough meats, especially hamburger. Even after grinding, the gristle in hamburger is hard to digest.

Membranes of oranges or grapefruit

Cores, seeds, or skins of fruits or vegetables

Fibrous vegetables such as corn and celery

Hulls, popcorn

Breads – Fresh breads “ball up” in your stomach and can block your pouch. Try to avoid breads/crackers/cereals as much as possible.

Fried foods

Milk – If you are lactose intolerant you may use “Lactaid” products or soybean milk

Rice – tends to expand further once in your stomach and can cause pain

This list may seem daunting but realize that the further you are out from surgery, the more tolerant your system tends to be. However, it is very important that especially throughout the first year you participate in a comprehensive program which should be available with any experienced bariatric surgeon/center. A comprehensive program should include:

Follow-up visits with your surgeon

Individualized coaching with a nutrition specialist who understands the needs of the weight loss surgery patient

Personal trainer/fitness center that eases you into appropriate exercise activities in a safe and comfortable environment

Access to delicious nutritional products that support your need for 90+ grams of protein each day

An ongoing support group for you and your family/significant others.

All of this is provided on-site or online at the Center for Weight Loss Success and truly impacts the short and long-term outcomes of our awesome patients. For those that live farther away, most services are very effectively provided online, via Skype, via webinars and other engaging ways. Short and long-term comprehensive support is essential for optimal success.

Rhonda’s Opinion: Absolutely! I enjoy food in moderation even more than before because it tastes so much better when you slow down to enjoy it.

This is the morning of day 15. I wanted to give you an update and tell you my results. I encourage you to give us a yell at the Center for Weight Loss Success and go to our e-store. I finished up this morning. I had my official weigh- in. I came over here to the office and got my body composition done. I was excited to get up and have breakfast. Over two weeks I lost 18 pounds which is more weight than I anticipated. I’m not going to try and lose more weight. I improved my body fat percentage by 3% points which I was surprised at too. So it’s been a good couple of weeks.

I feel great. I want to give you an update and an overview. I want to talk about how to get started if you’re interested in doing this because the concept is simple. But simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy. It is a two week Jump Start Diet using 5 shakes a day. It’s 1000 calories, 145 grams of protein, and 70 grams of carbohydrates a day. For people who are especially carb sensitive, this can potentially be a little high but we have a low-carb option.

I encourage people to take vitamins. Some vitamins that can be helpful to add: extra magnesium (muscle function and regular bowel movements), essential fatty acids (muscle and nerve function and mental clarity), and extra B-vitamins. You might want to consider a stool softener if you’re prone to constipation. It’s a great way to get your weight loss jump started. Some people think two weeks is forever but it’s a short period of time. It’s not easy but the concept is simple.

If you’re interested in getting started you really need to get your mind right. You need to decide, “I’m going to do this!” I assure you “kinda” working on a weight loss program does not work very well at all. So, get your mind right. Pick that time-frame when you’re going to do it. Figure out what’s going on. Is it something you can practically do during that two week period? If you’re going on vacation or have some big event it probably won’t work well. There will be temptations. What I found is the week-ends were harder because typically that’s the time for socializing. We’re not in our normal routine and that does make it harder. Get your mind right. Set you mind to it. Commit to what you’re doing. Just like NIKE said, “Just do it!”

If you’re interested, go to our corporate web site at www.cfwls.com. Click on the e-store. We have a book in our store called, “After the Jump Start” which helps you when you’ve completed the two weeks. I appreciate you listening. I appreciate you following along with my two week journey. My journey is still going on just like yours is. This is not something that truly ends. We just change how we work on it.

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Split spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Lay cut side down on foil lined baking sheet.
3. Bake squash for 45-60 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Turn over and scoop out flesh with fork. Drain excess moisture if necessary.
4. While squash is baking, make the sauce. Put all sauce ingredients together in small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Simmer and keep warm.
5. Cook chicken and cut up into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add oil to large skillet or wok and heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken, carrots, pepper and garlic. Cook until carrots are crisp-tender.
7. Stir in cilantro and half of the peanuts. Pour sauce over entire mixture and stir.
8. Serve with remaining peanuts and additional cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges.

1. Bring eggs in water to a boil and turn off heat. Cover and let stand 10-12 minutes. Remove eggs from water and allow to cool. Eggs may be placed in ice water to cool more quickly. Once cool, remove shells and place in bowl.

2. Cook bacon over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Remove from heat and crumble to small bits.